Mmerose - Please do not assume you know what I think about the horrors that have been visited on the working class and the poor (all colors) over the years. You have completely misunderstood where I'm coming from. I'm not a victim of anything.
I cut my political teeth in the civil rights movement in the 60's and was deeply involved in t…
Mmerose - Please do not assume you know what I think about the horrors that have been visited on the working class and the poor (all colors) over the years. You have completely misunderstood where I'm coming from. I'm not a victim of anything.
I cut my political teeth in the civil rights movement in the 60's and was deeply involved in the antiwar movement in the 70's. I'm also quite aware of the brutality with which the Black community has been treated. In 1981 the last lynching in the US happened only a few miles from where I live.
But, when people who call themselves woke use that as a cudgel to beat on someone who, for example, says something in support of the Palestinians, that's a problem.
If your understanding of woke means being aware of and acknowledging the truth of all of those issues you justifiably rant about, that's fine. I'm not trying to change your mind. I just choose not to use the word to refer to those who understand our brutal history and the sh*tshow this country has become.
Respect. I read the Guardian article. I THINK (?) you are interpreting the Israel-partisan donors as "calling themselves woke." Trying to be brief, looking at this segment:
He (Salaita) said he was troubled by the emails, saying that they are “part of a nationwide concerted effort by wealthy and well-organised groups to attack pro-Palestinian students and faculty and silence their speech.”
“This risks creating a Palestinian exception to the first amendment and to academic freedom,” he said, adding it is an area that “should be worrying to all scholars and teachers”.
That sounds to me like the "woke" statement. The offended donors arrogantly using their financial clout to muzzle University speech and policy seem the opposite. As do the cowardly University honchos. But the whole faraglio is pretty "woke" murky. As is everything about, well, the whole Middle East. Sometimes I ponder the juxtaposition of Europe "giving 'Israel' back" to the Jews, who had not held hegemony there in over 2000 years. (when did the Romans take over?) And wonder, huh, America was only stolen from the native population beginning about 400 years ago! I could get thrown off a Univ. faculty in record time. But not by anybody "woke."
I think the students started it and the donors decided to make it happen.
Israel was created as a result of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 which announced British support for a "national homeland for the Jewish people" in Palestine.
I read recently about Theodor Herzl, considered the "Father of Zionism", and his original vision for a Jewish homeland. He envisioned a utopian society in which both Jews and Muslims lived together in harmony.
Unfortunately, the original Jewish emigres to that area were not interested in sharing. As a result, the State of Israel, i.e. the government, has become an apartheid state and IMNSHO they have become what they despised. Very sad.
I say this as a Jew who supports the idea of a Jewish state like Herzl advocated, but I am very much opposed to Zionism as it is defined today. I imagine that if certain people see this comment I will be flamed for being a self-hating Jew. Oh well, nevertheless.
Mmerose - Please do not assume you know what I think about the horrors that have been visited on the working class and the poor (all colors) over the years. You have completely misunderstood where I'm coming from. I'm not a victim of anything.
I cut my political teeth in the civil rights movement in the 60's and was deeply involved in the antiwar movement in the 70's. I'm also quite aware of the brutality with which the Black community has been treated. In 1981 the last lynching in the US happened only a few miles from where I live.
https://www.al.com/news/2018/04/last_lynching_in_america_shock.html
But, when people who call themselves woke use that as a cudgel to beat on someone who, for example, says something in support of the Palestinians, that's a problem.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/sep/09/professor-israel-criticism-twitter-university-illinois
If your understanding of woke means being aware of and acknowledging the truth of all of those issues you justifiably rant about, that's fine. I'm not trying to change your mind. I just choose not to use the word to refer to those who understand our brutal history and the sh*tshow this country has become.
Respect. I read the Guardian article. I THINK (?) you are interpreting the Israel-partisan donors as "calling themselves woke." Trying to be brief, looking at this segment:
He (Salaita) said he was troubled by the emails, saying that they are “part of a nationwide concerted effort by wealthy and well-organised groups to attack pro-Palestinian students and faculty and silence their speech.”
“This risks creating a Palestinian exception to the first amendment and to academic freedom,” he said, adding it is an area that “should be worrying to all scholars and teachers”.
That sounds to me like the "woke" statement. The offended donors arrogantly using their financial clout to muzzle University speech and policy seem the opposite. As do the cowardly University honchos. But the whole faraglio is pretty "woke" murky. As is everything about, well, the whole Middle East. Sometimes I ponder the juxtaposition of Europe "giving 'Israel' back" to the Jews, who had not held hegemony there in over 2000 years. (when did the Romans take over?) And wonder, huh, America was only stolen from the native population beginning about 400 years ago! I could get thrown off a Univ. faculty in record time. But not by anybody "woke."
Thank you.
I think the students started it and the donors decided to make it happen.
Israel was created as a result of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 which announced British support for a "national homeland for the Jewish people" in Palestine.
I read recently about Theodor Herzl, considered the "Father of Zionism", and his original vision for a Jewish homeland. He envisioned a utopian society in which both Jews and Muslims lived together in harmony.
Unfortunately, the original Jewish emigres to that area were not interested in sharing. As a result, the State of Israel, i.e. the government, has become an apartheid state and IMNSHO they have become what they despised. Very sad.
I say this as a Jew who supports the idea of a Jewish state like Herzl advocated, but I am very much opposed to Zionism as it is defined today. I imagine that if certain people see this comment I will be flamed for being a self-hating Jew. Oh well, nevertheless.
Stay safe, Mmerose.